Beam compass set



Feb. 10, 1953 c. R. TAYLOR BEAM COMPASS SET 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed March 19, 1952 R, Tay L01'.

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Feb. 10, 1953 c. R. TAYLOR BEAM COMPASS SET Filed March 19, 1952 MMM 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 JNVENToR, Fla/"ence R Tag/O1? Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEAM COMPASS .SET

Clarence R. Taylor, Peneld, N. Y.

Application March 19, 1952, Serial No. 277,455

Claims, (Cl. 33-l58) This invention relates to drafting instruments and the like and has special reference to a beam compass.

One important object of the invention is to provide a novel form of beam for such a compass.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a novel form o movable head for carrying devices such as scribers, needlepoint, pencils, and pens.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind wherein novel means are used for securing the accurate positioning of the heads of such a beam compass.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a head and beam having cooperating means for causing the head to move slowly into desired position on the beam.

A fth important object of the invention is to provide means of novel character for locking the head immovably when it has been moved to the desired position.

A sixth important object of the invention is to provide a novel chuck device associated with a head for securing the implements above mentioned to the head.

A seventh important object of the invention is toprovide a sectional beam for such a compass and having novel means for securing the sections together.

With'the above and other objects in View the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a beam compass constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2--2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a greatly enlarged section on the line tmf? of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Figg is an enlarged section on the line 6 6 oi' Fig. l.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of a modication of the head shown in the preceding iis'ures.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the head shown in Figjl.

Fig. lo is a side elevation showing a modified 2 means oi' securing the joints of the beam together.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line i i-l i oi Fig. l0.

Fig. 12 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but illustrating a-slight modification invoer tain of the parts. l

Fig. 13 is a section on the line i3-i3 o1 Fig. ll.

As here shown, there is provided for this instrument a beam i preferably of greater heig t than thickness as shown in Fig. 2. This beam has a back surface H forming a plane and the upper and lower edges i2 and I3 of the beam are par# allel. Opposite the side lo the beam is provided with a channel I4 of trapezoidal cross-section, the channel flaring outwardly from the center of the beam.

The compass is provided, as usual, with a pair of heads. Each of these heads has a body l5 of generally vertically elongated form. This body has an opening I6 extending therethrough from side to side and of such width as to fit slidably on the beam I0, the opening i6 engaging the back l2 of the beam and the front of the beam above and below the channel. Preferably the head will be made' 0f suitable plastic materials and will have the opening IS extended upwardly at its center so as to open through the top of the body I5,'this extension being shown at Il. Molded inn to the upper part oi the body is a nut I8 wherethrough extends a clamping screw i9 having a knurled head 2U. A washer 2l is interposed between the screw I9 and the upper edge of the beam i0, this washer having extensions 22, which fit into recesses 23 molded in the body ld, so as to prevent loss of the Washer when the head is 'removed from the beam, this construction being best shown in Fig. 3.

From the opening receiving the beam, a passage 24 extends downwardly to open through the bottom of the body. A transverse passage 25 intersects the passage 24 and at this transverse passage is fitted a knurled nut 2E, which engages on the threaded end 21 of a chuck member 28 carrying a pair of spring jaws 29. Molded into the lowerend of the 4body IU are guide rolls 3o between which the jaws 29 fit. These jaws 2Q are grooved as at 3| for the reception of an imple ment such as 32 here shown in Fig. 4 as a pencil lead, though obviously the jaws 29 may be used to grasp a needle point, a scriber or the shank of a drawing pen. The opening I6 has, on the side confronted by the channel I4, an extension 33 grooved as at 34 in its upper and lower sides. The

` extension 33 opens forwardly through an opening 35 and fitted in this opening is a knurled cylinder 36 having lugs 31 tting in the grooves 34. The cylinder 36 is thus movable toward and from the bottom of the groove I4 and is of such width that when moved toward this bottom the edges of the cylinder will engage tightly against the upper and lower side walls of the groove.

In adjusting a head along the beam, it is necessary to first slightly loosen the screw I9 so that the cylinder 36 can be pressed inward by the users thumb to grip the top and bottom of the groove and thus adjust the head smoothly and accurately to any desired position. After this has been done, the knurled head 2D is then screwed down tightly and the head will then be held immovable on the beam. Obviously, rotation of the nut 26 in one direction will allow the jaws 29 to move downwardly and open up for the insertion of such implement as is indicated at 3 I, while rotation in the opposite direction will cause these jaws to grip tightly on the implement. In order to provide means for connecting several lengths of the beam together so that a beam of any desired length and having great rigidity may be obtained, a coupling device is provided, one form of which is shown in Figs. and 6. In this form of the coupling device each of the sections yIil of a beam is provided adjacent its ends with openings` 38. These openings are for the purpose of receiving a pin 39.V which is threaded on one end and rhas a knurled head 463 on the opposite end. On the threaded end the pin is provided with a knurled nut 4I. This pin extends through an opening 42 formed in a cylindrical member 43 of such size as to t closely in the grooves I4 of a pairrof beam sections, when ends of such sections are brought face to face as in Figs. 5 andv6, which assembly ensures that the beams cannot move in any direction relative to one another, thus providing a rigid continuous beam. In an alternate form of junction shown in Figs. and 11 top and bottom walls of the beam sections are provided at their ends with spaced notches 44, the notches of one section fitting on the teeth 45 formed on the other section. This design Valso provides means for building up a very rigid continuous beam of any desired length.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the principle is the same as that in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 but care is taken in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 to provide artistic curvatures and surfaces for the head I5.

In thev form shown in Figs. 12 and 13 a slight modification is made of the invention. In this form the side of the head holding the adjusting screw 36 is provided with a recess 46. In this recess is iitted a spring 41 of leaf spring character the upper end of which is held between nut I8 and the recess wall or bottom. The lower end of this spring closes 01T rgroove 34 to prevent lug 31 and therefore knurled cylinder 3S from falling outwardly into the opening I6 in the event that the beam I0 is withdrawn from the body I5.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of the invention and illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, certain minor changes or alterations may appear to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates during the extensive manufacture of the same. and I, therefore, reserve the rightto make such changes or alterations as shall fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a beam compass, a beam, a head slidably mounted on said beam for adjustment therealong,

- opposite face of the section,

said beam having a channel extending along one face of the beam, and a manually operable wheel rotatably supported on said head and engaging in said channel, said channel being of trapezoidal cross-section and outwardly flaring, said wheel having a width greater than the width of the channel at its bottom and less than the open face of the channel.

2. In a beam compass, a beam, a head slidably mounted on said beam for adjustment therealong, said beam having a channel of trapezoidal crosssection extending longitudinally of the beam, the channel being narrower at its bottom than at its open side, and a manually rotatable wheel having axial lugs and supported in said head to engage in said channel, said head having grooves perpendicular to the beam wherein said lugs t for movement of the wheel inwardly and outwardly of the channel, said wheel having a width greater than the width of the channel at its bottom and less than the open face of the channel.

3. In a beam compass, a beam, a head slidably mounted on said beam for adjustment therealong, said beam having a channel extenmng along one face of the beam, and a manually operable wheel rotatably supported'on said head and engaging in said channel, said channel being of trapezoidal cross-section and'outwardly daring, said wheel having a width greater than the width of the channel at its bottom and less than the open face of the channel, and clamping means carried by the head and engaging the beam to secure the head against movement along the beam.

4. In a beam compass, a beam, a head slidably mounted on said beam for adjustment therealong, said beam having a channel of trapezoidal crosssection extending longitudinally of the beam, the channel being narrower at its bottom than at its open side, a manually rotatable wheel having axial lugs and supported in said head to engage in said channel, said head having grooves perpendicular to the beam wherein said lugs fit for movement of the wheel inwardly and outwardly of the channel, said wheel having a width greater than the width of the channel at its bottom and less than the open face of the channel, and clamping means carried by the head and engaging the beam to secure the head against movement along the beam.

5. In a beam comp-ass having a beam provided with a plurality of sections, each of said sections having a groove of trapezoidal cross-section extending longitudinally from end to end and having an opening leading from the groove to the a cylindrical member fitting tightly in said grooves upon the ends of two sections being overlapped with their grooves confronting, a bolt, extending through the openings of said vtwo sections and the cylindrical member, said bolt having a head on one end for engagement with one of said sections and a nut on its other end for engagement with the other section.

CLARENCE R. TAYLQR.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 939,597 Hurst Nov. 9, 1909 1,789,601 Sjogren I- Jan. 20, 1931 2,176,681 Paege Oct. 17, 1939 

